People have depended on turkey long before Abraham Lincoln established the Thanksgiving holiday in 1863. The Maya domesticated turkeys thousands of years ago. Founding Father Ben Franklin had particular respect for the bird, though the rumors that he wanted to replace the bald eagle with the turkey aren’t true. (Read “Turkeys Can Swim—And Other Fun Facts for Thanksgiving Table Talk.”)

To celebrate this graceful bird that has helped sustain so many people, we present these intimate portraits of turkeys.